


Falling hard

by Zukkkaashipper



Category: Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Boys In Love, Dating, Gay Zuko (Avatar), Idiots in Love, M/M, Misunderstandings, Mutual Pining, Pining, Tags Are Hard, oblivious fools
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-06
Updated: 2020-12-06
Packaged: 2021-03-09 18:49:04
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27921043
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zukkkaashipper/pseuds/Zukkkaashipper
Summary: “What is it?” Zuko asked, when he looked up and noticed that Sokka was still looking at him.“you’re cute,” Sokka shot back with a flirty smile. Once again, Zuko ducked his head and a crimson blush crept on his face.
Relationships: Aang/Katara (Avatar), Sokka/Zuko (Avatar)
Comments: 4
Kudos: 164





	Falling hard

**Author's Note:**

> Another Zukka story. Let me know what you think and if you have any other ideas for a story let me know!

It had started as a blind date set up by one of their mutual friends, Toph. Right now, they were on their fifth date and Sokka could honestly say that the past month of dating Zuko had been the most amazing month of his life. Zuko was smart and funny in an ‘I’m not trying to be funny’ kind of way. He had been extremely shy at first, which had been adorable and had felt like a bit of a challenge to Sokka. All his friends could tell you Sokka was not one to back down from a challenge. However, the more time he spent with Zuko the less it felt like a challenge he had to win, but more like a need to get to know Zuko better. Adorable, smart, beautiful Zuko. 

There had just been one issue, Sokka wasn’t sure Zuko felt the same way. Whenever Sokka got too close, touched him just a little bit too intimate, Zuko would freeze up and pull away. Sokka had started to doubt the connection he felt to Zuko as well as his seduction skills. But sitting here across from Zuko at the dinner table Sokka could care less about the physical aspect of their relationship. Just looking at Zuko shyly ducking his head with a small smile on his face, because of some stupid joke Sokka made was enough for now. 

“What is it?” Zuko asked, when he looked up and noticed that Sokka was still looking at him. 

“you’re cute,” Sokka shot back with a flirty smile. Once again, Zuko ducked his head and a crimson blush crept on his face. 

“So, how has your week been? I haven’t seen or heard much from you the past few days,” Sokka continued once it was clear Zuko wasn’t going to respond to Sokka’s previous comment. 

“It was fine, I’ve just been super busy with this new play. I’m sorry.” 

“Did you get the part you wanted?” Sokka asked excitedly.   
He knew Zuko’s major was a bit of a sore spot with his family. Zuko had told him about it on their 3rd date after a few glasses of wine. It had taken him a while to get through his story and Sokka had had to piece some parts of it together himself. As far as Sokka could tell Zuko’s dad was a hard-ass and had never once encouraged Zuko to do what he had wanted to do. Instead, he had pushed him to become a lawyer like his dad and his big sister and they had treated him like a pariah when he told them that he wanted to study arts. Zuko hadn’t spoken to his family in over 2 years, once he started at uni. The only person from his family Zuko still had contact with was his uncle, Iroh. From what Zuko had told him, Iroh was awesome. Supportive and kind. He had treated Zuko like he was his own son and had been so proud when he decided to major in theater. Iroh was his biggest fan, Zuko had told Sokka proudly. 

“I did,” Zuko said. He would probably never admit it, but Sokka could see a proud glint in his eyes. 

“That’s amazing! We should celebrate. Uhm champagne? Waiter!” Sokka raised his hand to wave over the waiter, “could we have two glasses of champagne please?” 

The waiter nodded and disappeared to get the champagne. Zuko smiled at him again and Sokka felt a little bit weak in his stomach.   
“You gotta tell me when it is! I want to come watch.” 

Sokka could literally see the emotions cross over Zuko’s face. Shock, disbelief, hope, excitement. 

“The play is only in 5 months,” Zuko mumbled and suddenly Sokka realized that maybe he had been too forward, pushed too hard again. He basically just told Zuko he hoped that they would still be seeing each other in months. It was true, Sokka really was hoping that he would still be seeing Zuko. But what if Zuko would pull away again and freeze up. At the moment, it didn’t look like Zuko wanted to pull away, so Sokka decided to take another change. 

“Well, I can’t wait to see you in that play. You’ll be amazing, I know it.” 

Sokka wanted to reach across the table to take Zuko’s hand, but he was afraid that would be pushing too much too fast. So he didn’t. He kept his hands on his side of the table and forced himself to take a deep breath. In the meantime, the waiter had returned with the champagne. 

“Cheers! To you Zuko,” Sokka said while reaching half-way across the table so they could clink their glasses together. 

“To us,” Zuko said quietly. He didn’t look at Sokka when he said it, which was a good thing, because Sokka could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks. Ok, so he wasn’t making this all up in his head. That’s good. 

“To us,” Sokka repeated. Zuko looked up and gave him another one of his shy smiles and Sokka smiled back enthusiastically. 

The rest of the dinner went smoothly. They talked some more about their families, their studies, and the places they would like to travel to the most. For Sokka, these places were mostly cold and snowy, like Greenland and Norway and Alaska. For Zuko it was the complete opposite. He wanted to go to Hawaii and Italy, as long as it was hot. They laughed about this for a while and Sokka made the stupid joke that they would never be able to go on holiday together. He realized his mistake as soon as he said it. Zuko’s face fell and he retreated in on himself. Sokka spent the rest of their dinner trying to get back to the carefree atmosphere they had before he had opened his big stupid mouth and ruined everything. 

After dinner, they walked back to campus together. Sokka tried brushing their hands together, so he could gauge Zuko’s reaction. Every single time he would even softly graze Zuko’s hand, Zuko would jump and pull away again. Sokka sighed to himself and looked at Zuko sideways. He was getting so many mixed signals, he really didn’t know what to think anymore. 

They had arrived at Zuko’s room. The uncomfortable silence dragged on and Sokka had become too self-aware to even try to go in for a kiss. Zuko awkwardly said goodbye and gave a small wave before he ducked inside. Sokka let out another disappointed sigh and started the journey to his own shared dorm room.

Aang was laying upside down on his couch groaning and looking at his laptop angrily. 

“Hey buddy, whatcha doing?” Sokka asked. 

“Oh! hi Sokka,” Aang perked up. “I’m just finishing my paper on coral bleaching and how it affects so many aspects of the ecological system and the poor aquatic animals. They deserve better! And hardly anyone cares. How can they not care about the animals!” 

“I know buddy,” Sokka patted Aang on his head and sat down on the couch next to him. 

“How was you date! Did it go well? Did you finally get to kiss him?” Aang asked excitedly. 

Sokka pulled a face and Aang’s face fell a little at that as well. 

“He just.. He’s so frustrating. At one point we’re laughing and I swear he is flirting with me, but the moment I get too close or try to touch him, even just to hold his hand, he pulls away! Maybe he just doesn’t feel the same thing I’m feeling. What if he just wants to be friends and I’m just reading the situation completely wrong. What if I’m misinterpreting everything and he just doesn’t have the heart to tell me,” Sokka groaned. “I really don’t know what to do, Aang.” 

Sokka dropped his head on the back of the couch, groaned again and covered his head with his hands. He felt like a complete idiot. 

“I’m sorry Sokka. I’m sure Zuko has a good reason to act the way he does. Maybe you’re right and he just wants to be friends, but I honestly doubt it from what you’ve told me,” Aang said with wide, honest eyes.   
“Don’t you remember what an insecure mess I was when I was dating Katara? I over-analyzed every single thing she said, every small touch and I just didn’t know what to think and what to do. The only way you’ll find out what it is that’s bothering him by talking to him. You’re a very affectionate and touchy person, Sokka, maybe Zuko just isn’t like that. Just talk to him about it!” 

“Please, everyone could see how smitten you and Katara were for each other. The only ones who couldn’t see it were you and Katara,” Sokka said incredulously. 

Aang smiled softly to himself, remembering that time. Aang and Katara had been together for a long time now and they were so cute together, although Sokka would never admit that out loud. He was really happy that Katara had found such a good guy to take care of her and he hadn’t seen his sister as happy as she was when that goofball was around. Sokka would never admit this either, but he was jealous. He wanted that with someone. No, not someone, he wanted that with Zuko. And that thought was just incredibly terrifying, wasn’t it? He still hardly knew Zuko. Zuko wasn’t someone to get to know easily. You had to prick through all the layers and all the walls Zuko had build over the years, but Sokka found that he wanted nothing more than to break all those walls down and get to know more about the mysterious, shy and incredibly gorgeous boy. 

Sokka knew Aang was right and that he wouldn’t get an answer without talking to Zuko, but he couldn’t. You could say that his ego was too big for it, but Sokka didn’t think that was the problem. It’s just that he hadn’t felt this way about anyone. Sokka had had girlfriends before and a fling here and there, but all of his relationships always ended because they realized they would work better as friends. But the thought of him and Zuko just being friends, that just hurts. He couldn’t put himself through that. Not after what happened to his mom. He could never feel as lost and hurt and sad as he did the day his mother died. So maybe it was better this way, to net get closer to Zuko, because it could only hurt more, right? 

So, that night while Sokka was laying in bed, overthinking as usual, he decided he would wait for Zuko to contact him. He could do that, he could not text Zuko. He would just have to delete Zuko’s number, probably. Just to be sure. 

A week went by and Sokka still hadn’t heard anything from Zuko, which only enhanced Sokka’s suspicions that he had read the situation completely wrong. Sokka tried to move and forget Zuko, but everywhere he looked he saw something that reminded him of Zuko. Sokka had never felt like such a useless and pathetic person in his life. How could he have gotten so attached to someone so fast? This never happened to Sokka. Sokka didn’t get attached easily. Honestly, it had taken months to get used to Aang’s bubbly nature. As well as at least a few weeks to get used to Tophs bluntness. In short, it just took Sokka a while to really get used to someone. Sokka always liked people, he was a social guy, but he just had a hard time really trusting someone. Afraid they would leave or something.   
But not with Zuko, Sokka was completely smitten within the first two dates. 

It took another week before Sokka came face to face with Zuko once again. He walked into the coffeeshop on campus where Katara worked, together with Aang, when he saw Zuko sitting across from Toph. They appeared to be having an intense conversation and Zuko was gesturing wildly. Before Zuko could drag Aang to Katara at the counter, Aang was already on his way to greet Toph and Zuko. 

“Hi guys!” Aang chirped. He sucked up his pride and followed Aang reluctantly to their table. 

“Twinkle toes,” Toph greeted Aang. “Oh, and Sokka you’re here too,” Toph said in a tone Sokka couldn’t quite place. Sokka was still amazed Toph was able to tell who was in the room, even after all this time. Zuko froze up the minute he saw Sokka and he didn’t even look at him. Sokka felt anger bubbling up inside of him. If Zuko didn’t want to date him that was fine, but ignoring him and acting like he wasn’t even there? Sokka deserved better than that. 

“Hello Zuko, good to see you again,” Sokka said in a tone that was maybe a little bit too harsh, because he saw Zuko flinch. 

“Hi,” Zuko said under his breath.

“Whatever,” Sokka mumbled and turned away from Zuko and walked over towards the counter. Aang followed him after a few seconds. 

“That was a bit harsh, don’t you think?” Aang asked cautiously. 

Sokka didn’t respond. He didn’t want to think about stupid Zuko, with his stupid sexy scar and his stupid smile anymore. He focused on Katara and catching up with her. He ordered some way too sweet drink and tried not to look back towards the boy in the corner. When he finished his drink and couldn’t stop himself from searching Zuko again, he realized they had left. The pit in his stomach only grew bigger after that. He was an idiot. 

This went on for days. Sokka feeling bad about himself and missing Zuko, so he locked himself inside his room whenever he could. Gaming with Aang or watching murder mysteries by himself in the dark. 

This night wasn’t any different he was rolled up in his blanket staring blankly at the tv, which was playing another murder mystery. It was storming outside. The rain was beating against his window and every now and then the sky was lit up by a bolt of lightning. Suddenly, he heard a soft knock on his door. Thinking it was Aang he didn’t move and told him to come in, only to be met with the sight of a drenched Zuko dripping on his carpet. His hair was laying flat against his face and Sokka couldn’t stop his stupid brain from thinking how cute he looked like that. Sokka shot up from his bed until he was standing right next to it staring at Zuko. 

For a few seconds neither of them moved. Both too afraid to be break the tense atmosphere that surrounded them. They just stood there looking at each other. After what seemed like forever Sokka’s stupid mouth betrayed him yet again. 

“Zuko? What are you doing here?” 

Zuko didn’t respond immediately. He seemed to be gathering his thoughts. He looked at Sokka as if it were the last time he was going to see him. He seemed to take in everything about him. Looking over Sokka’s body to his face, lingering on his lips and the looking up into his ice blue eyes. Zuko’s eyes held his gaze, Sokka couldn’t look away. Zuko’s golden eyes were just too captivating and Sokka thought to himself what a shame it would be if this were the last time he got to look at them. 

“I-I.. I’m sorry for barging in here like this. I just, I hate not talking to you, not seeing you. I guess, I j-just wondered what I did wrong. Tell me what I did to screw this up. I know I’m not the most fun guy to hang around, b-but I uh I thought were doing ok. Did I just misread the entire situation? Did I say something or do something to upset you. I-I’m going crazy trying to figure out what I did. I need, I just need you to t-tell me, please,” Zuko pleaded and Sokka could see the desperation in his eyes. 

It only took his brain a minute to catch up to the words that just came out of Zuko’s mouth. He’s afraid he did something wrong. Wait. Does that mean that he didn’t want it to go wrong. What is happening? 

“I just didn’t think you actually liked me,” Sokka admitted. “You pulled away every time I tried to hold your hand. If I flirted with you, you froze up. I just thought that maybe you only wanted to be friends or that I was misreading the situation. You just didn’t seem that into it.” 

“No! No!” The words flew out of Zuko’s mouth, seemingly without his consent. His eyes went wide and he seemed to make a decision. 

“I really enjoyed all the time we spent together. I’m just, I haven’t been out for a long time and still not. My uncle knows and Toph knows too. But you, you are so out and open and proud of who you are and I’m just, argh why is this so hard..” Zuko groaned frustratingly to himself. 

“I’m just not comfortable with the touching in public. I don’t think I’ve ever been comfortable in my own skin, but this? This is completely new to me! I just wanted, no I needed to take it slow. I-I like you Sokka, a lot. Probably more than I should at this point and that scares me, ok?” 

The words seemed to stumble out of Zuko’s mouth and Sokka stared at him in shock. He had never heard so many consecutive words coming out of Zuko’s mouth and his story sounded so much like Sokka’s own. The insecurity and the feelings. God, they sounded like high school girls. No offence to high school girls, they probably would have handled this situation better than Sokka had. 

Sokka stepped forward and slowly reached for Zuko’s hands. This time Zuko didn’t pull them away, but let his small hands rest into Sokka’s much larger ones. 

“I like you too, a lot. You’re smart and you’re funny and you’re gorgeous. I guess I j-just felt afraid. I’m not used to liking someone so much and then it felt like you didn’t like me like that and I guess that just hurt me ego or something,” Sokka babbled. 

“We’re both idiots, aren’t we,” Sokka said while leaning downward so he could put his forehead against Zuko’s. 

“I guess we are,” Zuko said looking up into Sokka’s eyes. 

“Zuko,” Sokka whispered, “can I kiss you?” 

Sokka felt Zuko’s breath catch and he saw his eyes flick to his lips. He nodded shyly and leaned in just the tiniest bit. Sokka caught Zuko’s pretty mouth with his own and kissed him softly. He let his tongue slide over Zuko’s lips slowly and the smaller boy let out a small gasp. Sokka took that opportunity to slip his tongue into Zuko’s mouth and he wrapped his arms around Zuko’s waist. The smaller boy moaned softly, leaned into Sokka and put his arms around his neck. 

After what felt like forever, but also like no time at all, they slowly pulled away from each other. They relished in their closeness and held each other close. 

“I-I’m gonna need to take this slow,” Zuko said. 

“Sweetheart, as long as you kiss me like that when we’re alone, we can take it as slow as you want,” Sokka said with a grin. 

Zuko smiled and shyly leaned up again to give Sokka a quick peck. 

Sokka would stay here forever if he could, wrapped up in Zuko without the prying eyes of others. Sokka felt lucky to be the person Zuko wanted to be with intimately. And he truly meant what he said. He would take it as slow as Zuko wanted, because all Sokka wanted was to get to know the beautiful boy better. Who knows, maybe one day they would be able to kiss in public. Maybe even at Aang and Katara’s wedding. But for now Sokka felt content and he would take everything Zuko wanted to give.


End file.
